Pocket case



March 19, 1940. J. CAMPBELL POCKET CASE Filed July 10, 1937 lNl/EA/TORJ. C MPBELL Patented Mar. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE 8"Claims.

The instant invention relates. to simply and manually closing andopening, automatically her metically sealing'containers for materialshaving a tendency to deteriorate on contact with moisture or air oreither, or tending to sift or leak out.

An object of my invention is to provide a pocket case of simple andinexpensive construction which can be simply latched in its closedposition to exclude air and moisture and to prevent leakage or siftingout of the materials. r Afurther object is to provide a light weightpocket case which may be latched in its closed position and with certaincontents, such as cigarettes, will not only keep out moisture out willalso float in water.

Still other and further objects are obvious from ing the forward endthereof partially in section with the latch in its pre-latchingposition, and

Figure 4 is similar to Figure 3 showing the latch closed.

The lower portion of my improved case l is made by stamping, moulding,or casting, preferably in a single operation, out of any light weightmaterial such as aluminum. Integral with'the upper edge of the sidewalls, an externally over;- hanging rim 2 is provided, and, at adistancev from the lower surface of said rim andon each side wall nearthe front wall, a projection 3 integral with such side walls. The cover4 is similarly made, preferably in a single operation, of the same lightweight material. The side wall-s 5 and the front wall 6 and rear wall 1are integral with the cover, and a groove 8 is provided near the edge ofcover 4 and near all the walls thereof so that they depressed materialprojects in the form of a knife edge 9 from the inside surfaceof thecover. The groove 8 is so positioned that on assembly of the cover tothe lower portion of the case, a resilient gasket Ill contacts all ofrim 2 of such lower portion. A formed depression H is positioned in thelower portion of front wall 6 and extends its entire length. Itsposition along wall 6 is such that on closure of the case the depressionor groove ll registers with the latching member l5 immediately below rimlet the lower front wall. At the lower end of rear wall lenoughadditional length of material is left in the forming operation toprovide a pivot or hinge l2 for (01. ego-s5) steel spring l3 extendingall around the case The side arms I3 of the steel spring are given apermanent form about a fulcrum point I l approximatelymidway theirlength, such that when the cover is in its open: position the pivot l2takes a position along the rear wall and the rear portions of thesidewalls at some distance l4 below rim 2, while along the front walland the forward 1 portions of the side walls .the spring rests on thelower surface of rim 2. The side arms l3 of the spring are so formedthat the distance l4 from the lower face of rim 2 exceeds the distancefrom said face to the. upper portion of projection 3. Front portion l8of steel spring l3 which extends along the lower front wall ofthe casecarries thereon the formed latch l5 having integral therewith a formedflap I6 of thin material to lie flush on the lower front. wall of thecase when it is latched. Latch ,I5 and its integral flap it arerotatable about such spring portion I8.

The case is assembled by forcing apart some K whatside members I3 of thespring to permit the passage of projection; 3 therethrough. As thespring is so formed that it cannot pass over rim 2, the case is thussimply assembled. So assembled, pivot, l2 occupies the positionindicated at It I while the forwardly portions 'of side springmembers l3contacting rim 2'will be out of contact,

with projections 3, thev latter being positioned a distance from thelower surface of the'rim greater 1 than thesectional diameter ofv springI 3, as determined by formed latch IS, the flap l6 being parallel tothefront wall of the case. As latch I5 is constructed to project andengage groove I l,

obviously it projects beyond rim 2 with the flap- I6 inthis position andthe case cannot be closed.

Flap I6, is therefore flicked by the thumb nail or other finger or sharpfiat instrument to rotate it about spring portion l8 and takes up aposition 40 substantially perpendicular to the lower front wall. 'Byjsuch rotation latch l5 now occupies a position. under rim 2' and nolonger prevents closing down the cover, while the forwardly porstrikesformed flap By such closing resilient gasket Ill rests on rim ;2, and,as the closing is against the. tension offorrned side spring members l3ful'cruming about a point l1 about midway their length,'pivot l2 and therearmost portions of said side spring members are brought still closerto the respective portions of rim 2, while the forwardly portions ofsuch side spring members are forced down harder onto the increasingtaper of projections 3 as shown in Figure 3. If the cover is nowreleased without latching it will fly open under the tension of the sidespring members. But having closed down the cover as described, to latchthe case flap I6 is now depressed until it isflush against the lowerfront wall, latch l5 by such rotation entering the formed depression orgroove ll of the front wall of the cover as shown in Figure 4. Thisforces the gasket intoz; still more intimate contact with the rim, whilethe tension of the displaced spring is now 'such that the case remainspositively latched in that the rearmost positions of thespring areforced back down the lower case portion I again ful- To open the case,the thumb cruming about [1. or finger nail, or a thin flat object isinserted between the flap' l6 and the lower front wall, whereupon, onflicking the flap upwardly, the case opens assisted by the springtension. I make the groove 8 in the cover triangular so that projection9 formed thereby on the inside will permit maximum filling of the casein that, on closing down the cover, no difficultyis experienced byleaving a clearance for this inner wall of the resilient gasket, for itsknife edge cuts cleanly into the contents with a minimum of resistance.

I have found that when making my case of aluminum of the size customaryfor packaging cigarettes in the usual quantities as sold, the latchedcase with its contents is of such total weight compared to its volumethat it floats in water. As on latching rim 2 is forced into resilientliner or gasket ID, the contents are hermetically sealed against air andwater and are thus preserved indefinitely without any additionalwrapping being required.

My improved case may be made in any manufacturing operation, such asstamping, casting, cutting, moulding, etc., and of any appropriatematerial, preferably light weight. I realize that various modificationsmay be made in details without departing from my invention, and I limitmyself only as set forth in the annexed claims. What I claim is: l. Apocket case made of light weight material comprising a lower portionhaving walls, outwardly projecting flanges on said walls at their upperedges, stops on said walls spaced from said flanges, a cover withdepending walls adapted to cover said flanges and said stops,projections on the interior of said cover and spaced from the dependingwalls a distance approximately the width of said flanges, a resilientgasket between the inside of said depending walls and projections, aformed spring pivoted at the lower edge of a depending wall and formedsothat on assembly with said lower portion the portions of said springremote from said pivot engage the lower surface of said flanges whilethespring portions proximate to said pivot are at a distance from saidflanges, said spring encircling said lower portion of the case below theflanges and in its said remote portions above said stops, a

latching groove in said depending walls, and a cover;dow'n a'gainstthetension of the spring and rotating said projection about the springafter such closing.

2. In a case a cover depending wall, a groove therein, a spring pivotedon the cover depending wall remote from said groove, a lower wall, anoutwardly projecting flange, a pair of aligned stops on said lower wallbelow said flange and proximate to said groove when said cover wall isclosed over said lower wall, said spring encircling the lower wall andformed that when the coverdepending'wall isopen the spring portionsremote from said groove are at a distance below the flange while thosespring portions proximate to fsaid groove contact the flange, a latchingprojection rotatable on the spring proximate to thegroove, and adepending flap integral with and at substantially right angles to theproje ction for rotating the projection below and un'derthe flangeenabling the cover depending wall'to be closed down over the projectionto position the groove so that on rotation the projection engages thegroove, positively latching the cover depending wall to the lower walland forcing the spring portion remote from the groove against the flangeand the spring portion proximate the groove onto the stops still furtherthan occurs on'merely closing down the cover.

3. A case comprising a rectangular lower portion having integral walls,a continuous flange on said walls at their upper edge and projectingbeyond the outer surface proper of said walls, a stop on each side wallthereof spaced from said flange and near the front wall, a rectangularcover portion with integral walls depending in the closed position belowsaid stops, a rectangular spring pivoted at its rear side at the loweredge of the rear cover wall, said rectangular spring being so formedthat it may be sprung over the stops and in the covers open position itspivoted rear and the rearward portions of its sides occupy a position adistance below the flange of the lower rear wall and the rearwardportions of the side walls while its front side and the forwardlyportions of its sides contact respectively the flange at the lower frontwall and at the forward portions of the lower side walls, a groove inthe upper front wall near its lower edge, and a latching projectionrotatably carried on the front spring portion which projection onclosing the cover is rotatable under the flange of the lower front walland when the cover is completely closed is rotatable to engage thegroove in the upper front wall latching the case against the tension ofthe spring sides by retaining the pivoted rear spring portion againstthe flange at the rear wall and the rearward portions ofthe spring sidesagainst the rear portions of the flange at the side walls whileretaining the forwardly portions of the spring against the stops on thelower side walls.

4. A case comprising a lower portion having front, rear, and side walls,an outwardly projecting flange at the upper portion of said walls, astop on each Side wall positioned below said flange and near the frontwall, a cover with depending front, rear, and side walls adaptedtoenclose said flange and said stops, a spring piv-' oted to said rearcover wall at its lower edge and encircling said lower portion belowsaid flange and above said stops with the side members of the spring soformed that when the front portion of the spring lies against the lowerface of said flange the rear portion of the spring is at a distance fromthe flange greater than the dista'nce of the stops from the flange, alatching element on the front wall of said cover, a cooperating latchingelement on the front portion of said spring and rotatable thereon andadapted on closing down the cover onto the lower portion to latch thecover to the lower portion against the opening tension exerted by theside portions of the spring which on closing the cover down have beendisplaced upwardly in the rear portion against the flange a distancegreater than downwardly in the forward portion against the stops.

5. A container comprising a lower portion having an enclosing wall, anoutwardly projecting flange at the upper portion of said wall, a pair ofstops on said wall below the flange and in a plane parallel thereto, acover with a depending wall adapted to enclose said flange and'saidstops, a spring pivoted to said cover, wall at the portion thereof mostremote from said stops and encircling said lower portion within andbelow said flange and above said stops, the spring portions between saidstops and the region of said pivoting being so formed that when the.proximate portion of the spring is nearest the lower face of said flangethe remote spring portion is at a distance from the flange greater thanthe distance of the stops from the flange, a latch element on saidcover, and a cooperating latching element on said spring adapted onclosing the cover over said lower portion to be rotated on said springto the latched position.

6. A container comprising a lower enclosing wall, an outwardlyprojecting flange at the upper portion of said wall, a pair of stops onsaid wall below said flange and in a plane substantially parallelthereto, a depending wall adapted to enclose said flangeand stops, aspring pivoted to said depending wall at the portion thereof remote fromsaid stops and encircling said lower enclosing wall below said flangeand above said stops with the spring portions between the stops and thepivot so formed that when'the proximate spring portion is nearest thelower face of the flange the remote spring portion is at a distance fromthe flange greater than the distance between the flange and stops, alatching groove in said depending wall, and a latching projectionrotatable on said spring and adapted on closing said depending wall oversaid enclosing wall positively to engage said groove on a partialrotation.

'7. A container comprising a lower portion having an enclosing wall, anoutwardly projecting flange at the upper portion of said wall, aplurality of aligned stops on said wall in a plane below andsubstantially parallel to said flange, a cover with a depending. walladapted to enclose said flange and said stops, a spring pivoted to saidcover wall at the portion thereof remote from said stops and encirclingsaid lower portion below said flange and above said stops, thespringportions between the stopsnearest the pivot region and the pivot regionbeing so formed that when the proximate spring portion is nearest the.lowerface of said flange the remote spring portion is at a distancefrom the flange greater than the distance between the stops and theflange, a latching element on said cover, and a cooperating latchingelement on said spring adapted on closing the cover down over said lowerportion to be rotated on said spring to the latched position with theremote ,spring portions against the flange and the proximate springportions over" the stops.

8. A container comprising a lower portionhaving an enclosing wall, anoutwardly projecting flange in the upper region of said wall, a pair ofstops on said wall below said flange and in a plane substantiallyparallel thereto, a cover with depending wall adapted to enclose saidflange, a spring pivoted on said cover in the regionthereof remote fromsaid stops and engaging said lower portion below said flange and abovesaid tendency of said formed spring tensioned duringv said completeclosure. v

J OI-IN CAMPBELL.

